Saddle Up!
by KatherineMP20
Summary: -Title is a work in progress- the guys get a few days off in between shows to spend some time with cast mate and best friend, Katie -oc- for her birthday. They visit her business to find a new expansion, they can't wait to try out.
1. Chapter 1

***AN* Yes, I started another story, no I didnt forget about the one in progress. I uploaded probably 5 chapters in a 24 hour span, I think I deserve a break! lol. Normally I dont start new stories while in the middle of others, just because I dont want to forget what track I was on or forget about it all together. This story and another one I had in my head but didnt write down, this one has actually been in my head for a while now. They shouldnt be too long, no more than 3-4 chapters 5 at the most. I'll try to refrain from being long winded/detailed. This is just supposed to be a laid back kind of thing, no drama or what not but we'll see how it goes.**

An early spring morning began to peek it's way between the blinds of the guys tour bus. Sound asleep in their bunks, with the curtains drawn meant it didn't phase them at all. It was peaceful on the bus for the most part, the hum that had put them to sleep, had now been mixed with the sounds of other traffic as the day began. Slowly they woke up to the busy sounds, James threw back his curtain in disdain at the intrusion and looked up to see the emergency hatches open. He climbed out his bed and managed to shut it with a small slam before burrowing back into his bunk.

The bus remained quiet again for about another 3 hours, as everyone slept. Eventually James woke up again and this time actually got up and got something to eat. He was usually the first one awake but enjoyed sleeping in today. Shortly after him Logan got up and got some breakfast as well. They were running low on food and would have to make a stop pretty soon however, they were already running a little late. According to their driver, they were about an hour away from the venue they were supposed to be at by 9 and it was now 10. They would have to make the food last and ate small for now, they could order some extra food at the venue.

They had a busy schedule the next few days, having one show a day for about a week before getting a perfectly scheduled mini vacation of a few days in New England. They had a show in New York September 29th and a show in Connecticut October 2nd. The venues were only a few hours distance and they would be in CT over night. They had big plans in CT, it was going to be Katie's birthday the night of the show and they wanted to spend a few days with her. They hadn't seen each other in almost a year.

The show had been put on hiatus as well as recording for both artists, due to time and scheduling conflicts. Katie needed a break anyway, and the guys hadn't toured in a while so they were touring the world this time. After Christmas, the Show would start up again as well as recording new music for both artists.

After their busy week of trying to catch up with their delays, grueling schedules and anticipation to be on vacation, they finally arrived in CT in the early morning around 7. They slept in a bit until 9 or so when the bus pulled into a charging station a few towns over from Katie. They tried texting her to come get them but she didn't answer. Carlos finally called her, she answered but it was clear she was sleeping.

"You're still asleep? Its almost 10 in the morning." he stated

"I stay up late at night doing work." she said calmly

"Oh, I didn't know that. Sorry to wake you. We're in CT though, at the charging station, ready to be picked up." he replied

"Oh ok, which one?" She asked, sounding more alert and excited now.

"I don't know." Carlos said into the phone. Logan was standing next to him but he had no idea either, shrugging his shoulders. " Randy!" Carlos called away from the phone. "Where are we?…..Stonington."

"Alright, I'll be there in about a half hour." she said, finishing up the conversation.

The guys hung out at the station, getting some food and supplies at the station shop while they waited. After a half hour, Katie hadn't shown up yet and they were getting restless. They tried playing a little Frisbee but the manager of the station told them no. Carlos was about to call Katie again but James called out for his attention. He looked up to see a familiar green truck, outfitted with many fixtures and signs of warning. It was Katie alright, her truck wasn't hard to spot. She turned on her loading lights as she pulled up towards the bus and turned past them.

Her long truck was outfitted with a large white fixture, it was a supply carrier of some sort. Dog cages were aligned sporadically along both sides. She also was pulling a long trailer behind her, in big letters her school and business were emblazoned on both sides. James ran up to the car to open the back door when a dog lunged at the door. Katie got out quickly and greeted them with smiles and hugs and they reciprocated.

"I'm sorry I took so long, I was delayed getting out the door. I have a free cargo space in the carrier that you can put your bags in." She said walking to the back of her truck. She unlocked a medium sized door to reveal an almost empty space, the floor was empty but the walls were lined with long tools such as nets, catch poles, and other assorted equipment. The door was small but the compartment was quite roomy and all of their bags, about 7 in total, fit snuggly.

She pulled a wire cage from another compartment and unfolded it, laying it on the ground before unlocking her car and taking out Shadow. He was now friendly and happy to see the familiar faces despite lunging at James a minute ago. Shadow had a tendency to get territorial very easily knowing he could get away with it with others. He was all bark and no bite though, unless Katie gave him one of his many commands.

Shadow didn't like to share the back seat and although she could trust him to just pout in a corner, she put him in the cage. Carlos and Logan squeezed into the third row of seats and Kendall got into the passenger seat upfront before switching with James, who was a little put off sitting with Shadow. Shadow took James' fear to his advantage and began growling, making James uncomfortable. Once everyone was comfortable, buckled up and ready, she took off heading back the way she came.

"Pick-up needed in Stonington. Who can respond?" a voice said. Katie picked up her walkie-talkie, to respond to the pick-up.

"Unit KP-S responding. Go ahead."

"Possible live donation plus standard. 2845 Forest Grove."

"Copy that." she said and she hung up the receiver. "Got a quick pick-up to make." she explained to the others. She had already past the way to get to the address but managed to pull a quick u-turn. She arrived at the house in a few minutes and she was greeted by an elderly woman who was very grateful for Katie's help and surprised at the quick response.

"I only just called 10 minutes ago and was told someone would get back to me with a time frame. Not 5 minutes later I get a call saying someone would be here in minutes. Boy, how I wish all businesses were like this!"

"Thank you ma'am but I just happen to be in the area, driving through actually. It was luck of the draw. Usually it takes a day or 2 to get out to all our calls. How can I help you today, anyway?" she said with a smile.

"My husband passed away recently and his old dog, is just too much work for me in my old age. I know he is old and lays around a lot but I hoped he could still be of some use to someone. I've got all of his food, toys and supplies boxed up, already to go."

"Great. I assure you, all our dogs are always useful. Even if he's too old to move, he'd make a great companion for someone. All my students love animals and are great with all kinds of critters. If I cant use him for my geriatrics class, I'm sure he'd find a great home to live in peace with a student."

"Wonderful, I'm so glad I called. I'd hate having him spend the rest of his life in some cage at a shelter. I know he'd be in a cage with you but that's different. What do I need to do?"

"All simple things, in fact this can go really quick. I have a few extra hands with me today so this should be a breeze. I need to get my paperwork and while I get set-up, you can show my friends to all of the supplies. Not the dog, I'll get him when we finish."

"Alright, dear."


	2. Chapter 2

***AN* Yes, I started another story, no I didnt forget about the one in progress. I uploaded probably 5 chapters in a 24 hour span, I think I deserve a break! lol. Normally I dont start new stories while in the middle of others, just because I dont want to forget what track I was on or forget about it all together. This story and another one I had in my head but didnt write down, this one has actually been in my head for a while now. They shouldnt be too long, no more than 3-4 chapters 5 at the most. I'll try to refrain from being long winded/detailed. This is just supposed to be a laid back kind of thing, no drama or what not but we'll see how it goes.**

***AN* It has been a long time since I rode horses, so please dont call me out on my choices/style of riding in this story. this story will be western style based. *  
**

They arrived at the campus in what seemed like a few minutes. They chatted and caught up the entire time, passing the time. She pulled into the short dirt drive-way and flashed a card that allowed the gate to open. Rolling down the dirt driveway, they could see a bunch of changes in the used to be thick and barren woods. Now piles of lumber, dirt and all sorts of equipment lined one side.

"What's going on?" Carlos asked

"I'm doing a little expanding. The campus sits on over 500 acres, so I have lots of room to expand on." she replied

"Why expand up here? What about vandals?" James asked, remembering a story she told him about drag racers.

"Well, I did like the look of the unused forest but I needed to expand and this was the better place to do it for what I wanted." she explained

"So what's this new place going to be?" Logan wondered

"Two large dorm suites, I'm running out of room in the dorms I have and I'll be able to fit more students in plus charge a little extra like other colleges. I'm also building another kennel. I'm changing things up around here. This school is only getting bigger and I need to expand to accommodate everyone. I'm trying only to build on one side for now but as more buildings are needed I'll have to see if I should keep it equal on both sides or not." she explained. She pulled into the unloading area where a crew was waiting to take Shadow and the donated dog, Jed, out of her truck plus the supplies. The guys got out and grabbed their bags and Katie drove off to drop off the trailer before parking in her garage.

They walked to the office building, where Katie was greeted by all her staff as she walked through the halls to her office, Shadow already waiting and drinking water. She dropped off her things and took them to the Dorm office to give them their keys. Although Katie was running out of rooms, she had a few extra available for the time being and the guys would stay here, free of charge. This wasn't the first time the guys were here but it was the first time they would be staying. She brought them over to the guys' dorm, it was pretty quiet for a guys dorm.

"Don't be fooled, this place usually isn't this quiet. I have a strict policy on quiet hours so during the day it may be loud at times depending on who has what class but by 9pm it should be fairly quiet and at midnight, everything should be quiet until 9am the next morning. I managed to dig out some sheets for you guys, they are mine so don't be surprised."

"I'm not sleeping on sheets with my face on them." Kendall said.

"Me neither." Logan seconded.

"I don't use my BTR sheets! They stay wrapped up safe and sound." she smiled.

"Care Bears! Really?" James called out of his room.

"Its all I had!" She defended. The others couldn't help but laugh. "I am a girl you know! Asses."

"Sweet! I got Pokemon!" Carlos cheered. Logan and Kendall wanted to know what they got so they unlocked their doors to find out.

"Network TV homeage!" Logan called out, noticing the sponge bob sheets.

"What the hell?" Kendall said noticing his sheets. He got what was leftover, Clifford, Rugrats, Diego, and Scooby Doo, mix-matched bedding. "Nice set, Katie." he teased.

"Hey it was all that I could find. It still serves its purpose." she said

"Katie!" a familiar voice called out. She turned to see Matt, the dorm RA walking to her.

"Hey Matt, I have your new advisees. They'll only be staying a few days, try to keep a watch over them though, I don't need word getting out that BTR is here. They wont need to be baby sat or anything just make sure no one goes crazy. They arent above the rules but they do tend to get wild. For tonight only, let up on the rules a little bit."

"Ok, no problem." he said. He looked past her to see the guys talking with each other as they investigated each other's room before walking down the hall, tapping Katie on the shoulder to tell her to follow.

"Great, I'm taking them for a tour of the new parts of the facility, then having some lunch. Don't know when we'll be back." she said.

"Sure. Have fun." he said waving as she followed the guys out.

-  
Once outside, she led them to a utility garage where she had them pile in a motorized cart to lessen the walking distance. She showed them the new buildings first, they were open just yet to the public but since she had been inside plenty of times, she had pictures that she took stored in a glass case next to the announcements board. It was pretty fancy, all of the rooms had their own kitchen, living room and bathroom. The bedrooms ranged from 1 person to 4 person making the suites hold anywhere from 4-16 people. The kennel wasn't much different and held only a bigger number of dogs. The next stop were all the remodeled buildings. Fresh coat of paint, repairs and other things made the buildings look brand new and state of the art. Heading further down to the outdoor arenas, Logan spotted a building in the distance before Katie could go into detail.

"What's that over there?" he pointed.

"Looks like…a barn?" Kendall squinted.

"You have farm animals now?" Carlos asked.

"Not quite. It's a stable, for Horses. I graduated college and earned my degree for horsemanship so I opened a small Horse facility. Its not much and just in a testing phase, if it doesn't work out then I wont continue, but I will keep the horses I have, the students bring their own horses to house so I get some extra money from that, plus students that wish to ride can pay to do so. it's a win/win." she explained

"You have your own horses?" Carlos asked

"A few. One is mine the others belong to the school even though I own them. I have 6 horses."

"Can we go for a trail ride or something?" James asked

"You want to?" she asked

"Sue!" Kendall said.

"Yeah let's go!" Logan agreed

"To the barn!" Carlos shouted.

Katie turned the cart and headed down to the barn. As she got closer, the horses began to whinny at her arrival.  
Knowing the dangers of horses and just common sense, they waited for Katie to lead the way. Inside was neat and clean although it wasn't a special barn. Horses had freedom to come and go as they pleased during the day in private runs. The barn was quite large, holding 26 horses but only had 10 horses. The barn was well laid out and easy to access to students but not to the general public. Two horses came in as Katie passed their stalls, she doubled back to greet them and introduced them to the guys.

"This is Artemis. He is the friendliest horse I've ever seen. He acts like a dog in some ways. He rarely spooks or shys away from anything or anyone, of course that isn't a good thing. He could get into a lot of trouble by approaching the wrong person." she said opening the stall. Artemis waited patiently until the door opened all the way and stepped out slowly without a lead. He nudged Katie and she gave him a hug before he turned to the others for more attention. "Go ahead, he's waiting for pets."

"You don't worry about him running away?" Logan questioned.

"I do but he doesn't. I usually always have him on a lead but occasionally I don't. The doors are open and everything but he just likes to be with people." she walked down the aisle to show them the next waiting horse, a curious but unruly mare, Isis. "This girl seems friendly but she's not fond of new people at all and takes a while to get used you. She's a great horse, fast learner and does what she knows very well, she's just not a people person." Kendall put his hand to the bars and she backed away and reared landing with a thump and a loud whinny. She kicked the stall and pinned her ears, snorting. Artemis walked to the door and bared his teeth quieting Isis for the moment. She stuck to the back of the stall, in a bad mood but stayed quiet, watching everyone closely. Artemis followed down the walk way as she talked with the guys.

"So he really does just follow you?" James said, looking back at the sound of Artemis following them.

"Yep, I really have no idea why. I've tried ignoring him and distracting him but he just clings to me. He's not a low horse in the herd either; as you saw with Isis, he sort of runs the place. He's tried following me out of the barn and he succeeded once. It didn't phase him at all with all the noises and dogs but I prefer to leave him here with the other horses.

"Where are the other horses, outside?" Kendall asked.

"Probably. I know my other 4 are, whether or not the 4 boarders are I don't know. I make a visit to the barn once a day to check on things but I have a barn manager to monitor things all day long since I'm needed elsewhere. The students are responsible for their own horses though and if things fall under standards they get warnings and fines. " she explained. She lead them into the tack room and pointed out the equipment for each guy to use. She walked them all back out to another aisle where tack up shelves were standing. They had all ridden horses but only Kendall knew how to tack up a horse. He helped them get set up while Katie called in the rest of her horses. She only used her voice and a whistle to get their attention and the horses galloped in. Artemis was getting jumpy knowing what was going on and he trot in a circle in anticipation. He eventually made his way to the tack up area and chose Logan to be his rider.

***AN* Remember most of this story is fiction! While I am an equine student and canine science teacher I dont own horses or an elaborate business. Nor do I personally know BTR.**


	3. Chapter 3

***AN* Yes, I started another story, no I didnt forget about the one in progress. I uploaded probably 5 chapters in a 24 hour span, I think I deserve a break! lol. Normally I dont start new stories while in the middle of others, just because I dont want to forget what track I was on or forget about it all together. This story and another one I had in my head but didnt write down, this one has actually been in my head for a while now. They shouldnt be too long, no more than 3-4 chapters 5 at the most. I'll try to refrain from being long winded/detailed. This is just supposed to be a laid back kind of thing, no drama or what not but we'll see how it goes.**

***AN* It has been a long time since I rode horses, so please dont call me out on my choices/style of riding in this story. this story will be western style based. *  
**

One by one, Katie lead out 4 additional horses, leaving Isis to herself, kicking the stall in jealousy. Logan accepted Artemis gratefully. He sometimes needed a firm hand when he got too cuddly but Logan could handle him. Artemis was 16.2 hh lanky thoroughbred cross gelding, his speed and agility almost unmatched. The next horse was a 15. 3hh brown and white paint, who looked identical to the animated horse in Spirit Stallion of the Cimmaron. Naturally, she was named after said horse, Rain. Carlos enjoyed the movie so he took her.

James got the next horse, a 17.1 hh grey warm blood mare, Misty. She had a mild temperament but could be picky when she wanted to be. She wouldn't let James saddle her at first but after Katie made her stand quietly she allowed him to put the saddle on with Kendall's help. Kendall walked her around in a circle to prevent her from being girthy. He tightened the girth and showed James how to put on a bridle which she accepted eagerly.

Kendall's horse was 2nd to last, a 16.3 Saddle bred cross gelding, Houdini. Houdini, lived up to his name by finding out ways to escape, or get into things he shouldn't. He was an over excitable, eager to learn and exercise 3 year old. He was green but a trust worthy horse. Since Kendall was the most experienced rider, Katie trusted he could handle him which he did.

Katie called in her horse, an 18.3 percheron /Frisian gelding cross, Zeus. He was solid black except for a lightening bolt shape mark on his nose. He had feathering on his legs that looked like black silk strands. He had an easy going/ indifferent kind of personality. He was a bomb proof type horse that didn't care what was going on around him. He was well behaved and patient but not overly friendly like Artemis. Zeus greeted Katie but was also wary of others and protective of her. She saddled him up and he couldn't help but let out an excited whinny. She finished quickly and lead him and the others out the back of the barn onto the trail.

Once outside at the entrance of the trail, it was time to mount up. Katie had a little difficulty with Zeus, but only because he was a big guy. She brought him to the fence and got on that way. Logan followed suit, having a bit of trouble getting in the stirrup. In a matter of minutes, they were already to go and Katie led the way through the dense forest trail that soon opened up to a meadow after a mile. Artemis and Zeus let out a whinny and Katie offered a race to settle the horses.

"Challenge Accepted!" Kendall replied and off he went, the other band members soon to follow.

Katie smiled and urged Zeus on who was more than happy to comply as he ran off after the others. Zeus ran like thunder, his hooves pounding in the grass, he was only cantering and he caught up to Houdini, and Misty. Artemis took the lead and Rain wasn't far behind. Zeus, scooched ahead of Misty, and quickly overtook Houdini.

A cross country fence made them turn to the right and they followed it until they came to a jump. They each soared over the small jump with ease. Katie slowed Zeus down to a trot and waited for the others to follow her through the 2nd part of the trail. She was taking them to the private beach, they had no idea there was a beach on the property. It wasn't an ocean front beach like they were used to, rather it was a very large lake, fed from the ocean. There was a lot of places to explore on the property, there was always a surprised waiting around every turn and it was always more fun to discover it with friends.

Going back to a one -by- one line, Katie lead the way, a long walk through a thicket of trees. It was cool and there were so many smells. Wild Raspberries grew on the trail and Carlos couldn't help but pick some. They were safe to eat and delicious! Birds were chirping, bees, buzzing and so many forest critters could be seen and heard on the trail ride. They all enjoyed the sights and sounds as Katie lead them all through streams and puddles and over fallen branches, hills and other obstacles.

After another 2 miles, they reached another clearing. One half of the lake came in to view and paired with the blue sky, trees and flowers in bloom it was a sight to be had. Katie took pictures for herself, she hadn't been down this way in a while although all the paths were well frequented by the students on hikes, dog walks and trail rides. Zeus led the way while Katie took pictures, the other horses following as the guys did the same.

The lake was down a ways and although there were foot paths all over, the horse trail went through a small cavern, which was another pretty sight. The cavern was a long steady ramp to the other half of the lake, coming out at the same level. Some of the lake edge was narrow but safe, the water being only a few inches deep as it lapped up onto shore. There was a small ledge the horses worked themselves down as their riders held on for balance, bringing them to the wider area of the shore. It was a wide open space, yet secluded. Katie set up a picnic area in this place for all the students to enjoy, complete with dressing rooms and plumbing that emptied safely into an underground compost chamber. A small stable for shelter was built here too, as well as a fenced in area for dogs to run around.

They all dismounted their horses and tied up the horses, giving them some hay, Katie packed in each of the horses saddlebags. The water was crystal clear, a small waterfall could be heard in the distance, making the water ripple every now and then.. The currents of the ocean made the lake come to life with movement.

"It's beautiful down here…" James sighed.

"I cant believe you own all this." Kendall added.

"It's a dream come true. I never thought I'd own something like this." she said.

"You're amazing." Carlos said putting an arm around her.

"Now we know if we are ever stressed out to come here. This is better than any kind of tropical vacation. No paparazzi, no fans, just friends." Logan stated.

"You know, you're right. It is nice to get away from it all every now and then. Don't get me wrong I like the fame and everything but seeing a camera every time you turn around is a little much." Kendall said.

"Comes with the territory, Kendall." Katie responded.

"I know, I know. Its just, when do we get to see this kind of serenity with our busy schedule?" he continued.

"Never." Logan told him.

"There might not be much to do down here but its still relaxing. And fun with the right people." James pointed out.

"We can have fun, I have a whole shed of stuff, boats of all kinds, pool toys, boards, games any outdoor toy you can imagine is down here. But first, why don't we have a picnic? I had the cafeteria make this for us, he dropped it off before we left." she said pulling out several bags from Zeus' saddle bag.

After a hardy lunch of all their favorite grinders, salads and desserts, they passed the time a little by digging out some of the activities they wanted to do. They spent the afternoon, running around in the sand, splashing in the water, and just having fun. As day turned to night, they sat around a campfire, toasting marshmallows and making smores, talking about all sorts of things. Their troubles, their fun times and even getting philosophical or funny. They lay on the ground staring up at the night sky, listening to the sound of the calming water, the crickets and all the other gentle night sounds.

Katie looked at her cell phone and saw it was after 11pm, they had completely missed dinner and lost track of time. The horses were asleep in the shelter, but Katie made enough noise from a distance to wake them up enough so they wouldn't kick. James and Logan put out the fire, dousing it over and over with water, then covering it with sand. Kendall and Carlos unhitched the horses and Katie tried calling back to the main building but had a weak service in the gully. It would be dark on the trail and pretty dangerous too, but they each had a flash light they had to use to point at the ground, helping their horse see where it was going.

They mounted up and Katie took the lead, heading back up the incline and through the cavern. The darkness of the cavern combined with the echoing of their hooves proved to be a little much for Houdini, who began to back up. Artemis nudged Houdini forward calmly in reassurance. Once out of the cavern, it was easy going from there, making the 2 mile trip back to the meadow where they went into another gallop under the moonlit and starry night. The last mile was the same and soon enough they saw the barn, which had been closed up.

Katie unlocked the door, and led Zeus inside. The others dismounted and followed suit, bringing the horse back to the tack up area and placing the tack on the shelves and putting their horses back in the right stalls. They all put away the tack and Katie gave the guys 2 flakes of hay each to give to the horses before calling it a night. She locked up the barn tight, and brought out the golf cart. The guys loaded up and she drove back up to the main part of campus to the utility garage. From there it was a short walk to the dorms, Katie watched as they went inside to their dorms before heading next door to the girls' dorms.  
Katie had 2 rooms on campus, on in her office and one in the dorms. It wasn't uncommon that she stayed over especially if it was bad weather or she had an early class the next morning. Katie's secretary had brought Shadow to the dorm, leaving him in the lobby where he was currently sleeping, before closing the main building for the day. Katie woke him up and together they climbed the stairs and went to her room, where they slept soundly until late the next morning.

Even Logan, the light and irregular sleeper, slept in the next morning, he was at ease and well rested when he finally did wake up along with the others. They had a good breakfast and attended a few classes that Katie was teaching through out the day. Before they left, they all went on another trail ride together, this time going in a different direction. What adventure lie ahead was beyond them, but that was part of the fun!

***AN* Remember most of this story is fiction! While I am an equine student and canine science teacher I dont own horses or an elaborate business. Nor do I personally know BTR.**


End file.
